SIDS 7" • Goodnight records

I think I ended up looking at this band because of the single at Rob's House. You know I have to find a new liars reference. Whenever I hear some electronic but punk type of crazy sound I compare it to the liars...this is like the liars but with Karen O. There's a lot of distortion, and lyrics are just sounds. There's some Test Icicles thrown in here too, and Wolf Parade.
This sounds like some inevitable conclusion to music you could hear coming, but it takes a band like this to make it sound new, and suprising. I thought the future would sound something like this, but this is way better. The idea that they have a cardboard cutout of sid vicious playing a sampler is exactly why I would have to see them if they played anywhere near NYC. You hear that Sudden Infant Death Syndrome? It's not good enough to have a yellow 7", I want to see sid!

S.I.D.S is one of those bands the listener will always try to deconstruct. As this tendency is predictable among the literate crowd of homespun musicologists that populate the areas where S.I.D.S. is most likely to find an audience, parsing out which bands S.I.D.S. most closely resembles can be a challenge. In the strictest sense of musical lineage, S.I.D.S. owes a debt, in varying degrees, to Devo, Throbbing Gristle, D.N.A. and Kraftwerk. These comparisons serve only minimally, though, as it must be understood that S.I.D.S. music--if not it's psyche altogether--is informed not by the rundown, industrial design of Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale's Akron, Ohio, but by the shiny, hyper-realized modernity of Atlanta, GA. And, yeah, that makes a difference. As much as one can hear the primal reaction to a speedy and emotionally neutral culture, there also is an underlying sense of confusion and desperation as if to say, "No human can keep up with this." That's really the essence of S.I.D.S. music . This confusion also explains why most of the lyrics are not discernible in the first place, taking a back seat to to the tunes themselves. The tracks on this record send their message the same way a punching someone in the jaw gets their message across: No words need be exchanged, but the point has been made. S.I.D.S. is going to have their say; their purpose is expression, not communication. S.I.D.S. is made up of Adam Stroupe, Josh Fauver, Erin Carmichael and a cardboard cut out of Sid Vicious playing a pre-programmed Yamaha psr-540.
The yellow vinyl 7" includes a cd-r with a hidden track, a dvd of their recent performance at Atlanta's Drunken Unicorn, and the artwork of Keren Richter (notkeren.com/Blood is the New Black).

SIDS Xmas single!!!!? on Rob's House

Just got an email from Trey at Rob's House about this new one from SIDS...
So happy and shocked to hear they're still active after being flung around the country for various reasons, and cryptic myspace messages. I kind of was fondly remembering the ghost of SIDS past...but a Christmas single?!!!!
Well I couldn't be happier then to buy myself a little something to put under the tree.
The packaging promises to be amazing, but even more importantly I can't wait to hear where these tracks are going to go.
One of my favorite bands that I'm still working out exactly what it is to the sound.

I sat down to take a listen to their other singles again and they sound just as good. I keep wondering with this kind of genre, the synth nightmare. There's not a hint of low fi in this...unlike Blank Dogs or something, that is like that hazy dream nightmare. This is rocking right out in front of you in the middle of the street. You went out to get the paper and 1,2,3,4 the explosion starts and you just drop everything and stare.

rhr048 SIDS - xmas single another knock-out 7" from SIDS [http://www.myspace.com/suddeninfantdeathsyndrome]. its still driving punk rock done with keyboards but this time its also a creepy xmas record with bells. in typical SIDS fashion, it come wrapped in amazing packaging, just in time for xmas (hopefully). [300 pressed; clear vinyl] side a: winter. side b: awake all night. ------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------

100 copies went to the band so we only got 200 for sale. super limited but assuming it does well (why wouldnt it?) we'll probably end up repressing it for xmas next year.

available now at www.robshouserecords.com

SIDS - Rob's House

side a:
+/-
acidone

side b:
psychohaunts
submachine

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

This ranks up there with one of the most beautiful seven inches I have ever seen, each one of those red areas is cut out of black heavy card stock, and then a red transparent insert is overlayed on top of hand drawn portraits of SIDS skulls in the middle of a skull crowd. Then the 45 itself is red vinyl. It's amazing, I showed my printer friend and he was impressed by the cut ribbon part in the middle. Let alone how one would mass produce this...the steps involved....but it is so worth it.
And it comes with a CD-R so I don't have to hook up my record player to the computer. It's ridiculous, but absolutely necessary with releases like this...so thank you Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
And by the way SIDS one of the most interesting things happening in contemporary music. I missed them the few times they have been in Brooklyn and I won't let it happen again. They are picking up the torch from the liars, and taking electronic back from the dancefloor and continuing to explore these ideas through sound, with a punk spirit. But always jawdroppingly new and you can rock out.

SIDS [website] are a synth-punk trio from atlanta. no electronics-lite here, just great driving punk rock done with keyboards, in the tradition of the screamers & early tuxedo moon but with their own sound. (7" purchase includes cdr).

[500 pressed, red vinyl]

I was wayyyy too late on it mentioning this and it is completely sold out from Rob's House. But it is a thing of beauty, and...now I'm just bragging...
It's essential, search this out.

cold cave from hospital productions

I have been hearing a lot about Cold Cave and I probably overlooked this single from Hospital Productions because I wasn't expecting this synth direction from the Hospital at all. It didn't exactly fit with the sort of thing I've investigated from this label in the past. I know Cold Cave has a 12" out as well which I haven't been able to track down...it's probably gone because this Cold Cave business is occupying that space between blank dogs and SIDS. Anotherwords it's more great messed up electronics. It's more distorted than Blank Dogs and darker/moodier than SIDS.
Not to be confused with the other CC, Crystal Castles.
I think I had it with Crystal Castles after a few weeks anyway, but seeing them live really blew it. More because of the crowd. I really felt like I was surrounded by a bunch of douchebags.

Here's hoping Cold Cave will scare the pussies away.

From Hospital Productions:
COLD CAVE - painted nails - 7" i have seen the future, and it's no place for me. this is a special record for hospital. although we have always shared a certain love for trance, power noise, synth pop, and 80's industrial music it is the first time we directly venture into this controversial and rhythmic world. cold cave presents 3 tracks of authentically morose epic anthems with the texture of a shattered champagne glass. imagine a highly damaged downward spiral era demo hitting the raw nerve to heart where all breaths freeze in rapture and all feelings croak in the blood of the beat- less heart.
to order: http://www.hospitalproductions.com

Some left at fusetron...(actually, they ran out before I could post this....literally like a few hours ago....sorry)..go get that triple split I posted about before. I know I did these out of order.
I'm a blogger, not a journalist!

black orphan on hozac records

Oh Electropunk, I can't get enough of you...I think SIDS started some kind of weird deep down need I had for 4 track electronic messes like this. Well, not exactly like this, just checking out their myspace, it's pretty guitar driven with tons of vocal effects...like phasers, a little distortion. There's a weird almost sebadoh feel to this stuff...maybe it's just the home recording or maybe it's the guitar base of tracks like 'Asteroids'.
'In the Dome' sounds exactly like my friend Tim laying shit down in the middle of the night and then having me over the next day 'You have to listen to this! I don't even remember writing it.' Ahhhh the days of being unaware of the internet of the insanely huge scene that was already taking shape in every corner of the country. Who knows what he might have come up with. A different myspace every day for a different solo project.
I like this, it's weird, guitar based blank dogs...because of the home recorded, a little off, a little electronic feel of this stuff.
What can I say, I'm a sucker for a weirdo trapped in a basement or attic with a 4 track and alcohol...or just bored out of his mind. It can really be gold.

Black Orphan
Video Kids
PS, US From the ominous depths of hell's inner circle, BLACK ORPHAN rises up & their slimey drooling of punk's primordial ooze seeps into every exposed pore on your body, languishing & writhing w/ emotional destitution. 4 ethereal tomes that decapitate, reverberate, & exacerbate the unruly demons that live deep in your mind, these songs allow you to walk through walls, see through clothing, & transcribe weird animalistic codes that only owls & sloths can truly understand.
RED VINYL LIMITED TO 200
HoZac
45

Pow! on Grazer Records

Pow! has a coupe of things going for them before I even put this on this morning. Seth Sutton played drums on two of these tracks and John Dwyer designed a couple of their tour shirts.
DO YOU THINK THAT EITHER OF THOSE GUYS WOULD DO THAT FOR JUST ANYONE?
Looks like they probably just finished up a tour in Europe with Seth, who might be a full time member? The San Francisco trio is going places that I WISH Blank Dogs could have captured when I caught them live when they went all Rock and Roll on me. Don't get me wrong I love those guys but expanded into a rock four piece with a live drummer just seemed to lose a lot of the damaged future sound that I loved about them. Seems like Pow! has found that sweet spot of thin sounding garage and cruddy synths. It reminds me of another band SIDS that put those elements together with a cardboard cutout of Sid Vicious on drum machine.

A-Side's "One Eyed Scorpion" opens with innocently enough with a ringing out warm distorted melody when an effected vocal fades in rising in tone running right into this punchy serrated beat. A weird close mic'd tight spring reverb in the vocal from Bryon Blum, has that delayed creepy sound from "Setting Fire To Your House". Seth Sutton is on drums here under the disjointed overblown synth solo that sounds like one of those fisher price xylophones and a contact mic - straight metallic sustained ringing. The depth is almost like a bunch of shallow layers piled up over each other with unexpected parts showing through. All pop though, the crazy effects are just a sign of their confidence and talent not gimmicks. "The Punisher" comes on with a four note synth drone and stomp beat. The guitars are jangly, all treble induced and buried in the back of that keyboard melody. Byron layers in the warble vocals with an octave transcriber, The Units wish they had this sort of thing available and they would have done away with any human element at all. A maddening hypnotizing rhythm that keeps plowing straight between your ears.

B-Side's "Fight Fire" plays with a heavy Sabbath jittery riff and messy space synth. Byron jabs in those lyrics in fits and starts, whooping between bursts. Like Fuzz met Thee Oh Sees. That Ty Segall sledgehammer breaking chords into huge unwieldy pieces and then dropping them on one another from the top of someone's apartment. "Hangin' Out (At Home)" has another heavy guitar core and they've got that off kilter nervous energy of Useless Eaters and I'm looking up their full length. This is garage fed through some kind of electronic vending machine. The riffs are coated in sine waves and the drums have wet cheese dip dripping from the tuning screws. Primitive TRS-80's created beats and power chords. It's fun / just hanging out / at home. Electronics never sounded so good with reverb. God damn exciting stuff.

On crystal blue/black vinyl from Grazer Records. Full length 'wasp guts' color vinyl from Castleface.

Sandie Trash on Bleeding Gold Records

I just happened to be listening to that anniversary double LP Godard soundtrack record that came out on M'Ladys Records this morning, not by coincidence. I was obviously meant to pick up this single from Sandie Trash on the increasingly eclectic Bleeding Gold Records. Not that there's much to connect the two other than originating in France, but it seemed more than just a coincidence. It's not a part of the world I regularly look out for and rely on Atelier Ciseaux or Les Disques Steak to be putting out interesting stuff, glad to see there's another label now reaching oversea to release new punk and new wave.

"Mon Amour V2" begins with what sounds like a literal echo of those new wave scores slowly rises into a repeating electric high range eastern riff. A booming sampled beat and rumbling bass line kicks in with Sandie and Alex Rossi delivering a call and response vocal in a breathy talking, slightly distorted feel. A gated chunky riff plays under the vocal like a lost echo from the industrial era. I'm fighting a memory of Enigma's "Principles of Lust" because it has nothing to do with this except the tone of whispery foreign vocals that sound like they're up to no good. These two sound like they're simultaneously antagonizing and falling for each other. This could be version two because the narrators can't stay away from each other and are finally giving in to a primal side.
The B-Side "Johnny Jane" features a steadily rising bleepy synth line met with a jittery electronic rhythm. This could be the new wave side with this New Order chorus bass line under Sandie's vocals which aren't as lusty on this one. She's driving this single minded dance track which continues to use a lot of Kiddt Per W's guitar riffs. From jagged staccto muted jabs to winding solos, it keeps the track from getting shoved just onto the dance floor. This is a distant second cousin once removed of SIDS or even These Are Powers electro-punk sound. Another example that punk is just a state of mind.

Get this single or a double 10" french new wave punk comp (featuring Sandie and more) from Bleeding Gold Records

psychedelic horseshit - half machine records

Well well well, it seems that the only way to hear a track from the psyche-shits new LP is to get this UK only single...god dam it! That's really ridiculous it's import only.
I understand the backlash against this sound, or even it being labeled right away, it is annoying but I can't fault this sound. It exists in that borderline between experimental and pop. It's that middle ground that is an extension of sebadoh and every 4 track side project. I just know that when I put the needle down I have no idea where this is going. It fits into that history of america, the audio tinkerer in the garage on the weekends on this new invention. It could be completely ridiculous or change everything.
Like the frustration with non narrative film, you can get annoyed by not being able to follow the story, you have to give up that control in a way and just appreciate what's happening in front of you with no expectations. Psychedelic Horseshit, the whole shitgaze ship is forcing you to start in that place and let go.
New Wave Hippies is on their myspace, that's probably as close as I'm going to get to this. It might be cheaper do this.

Found it from Volcanic Tongue's review:
Psychedelic Horseshit
New Wave Hippies
Half Machine Records HMR-007
7”
£3.99

UK-only EP from Psychedelic Horseshit, with five tracks that span primitive dub environs through acerbic post-Fall basement rants, including a track from the Siltbreeze LP. Edition of 300 copies.

Debut UK single by Psychedelic Horseshit.

Tracks are:
1. (Intro) Dub Gaze
2. New Wave Hippies
3. Portals (5am Demo)
4. Silent Speed
5. Magick Defends Itself Pt.3

Episode 18 - Me and Matt play Kaputt from the too pure singles club... it gets a mixed review, Diet Cola, (I think a SIDS side project) again we split, and finally Cheveu (Matt calls them the French Ministry) ....we become completely speechless which I think was a good thing....for you!

death set - negative thinking

This is a great example of the contemporary explosive genre mashup that's the most interesting thing happening in music lately. It's electronic-y, the vocals are run through effects, still guitar based, it's not completely just beeps, they're still working with a solid rock foundation. They're in good company playing with Dan Deacon, Girl talk, No Age, Juiceboxxx Etc.
So what is it? It's mutated dance music, in warehouses, with busted equipment, it's focused on the energy of playing this stuff live, getting out into the crowd and rocking it out. Yelling into microphones, standing on amps, the music is almost secondary to the message of rock.
That's what surprised me when I first heard Matt & Kim. It's straight keyboard, borderline electronic at times, some kind of offshoot of the emo-electronics of the 90's, but the crowd and vibe was definitely punk rock, people were out of control falling on each other, getting onstage. That's it I guess....it's synth-punk.
I have no doubt where they are coming from, it's sincere and trying to do new things without even trying. If any of these shows and 7"'s let them quit there day job, then there is hope for the future of music. I will support this shit as much as possible. Digital Leather, Sids, it all fits. This is on the manic end of the spectrum, and it reminds me of Japanther a lot, who have to be the godfathers of this NY scene. I take it for granted a little that they are going to be around forever and keep playing awesome shows, I hope they do and I wouldn't mind a bit if Death Set opened and took up the torch. But I'm old so I'll stand in the back and try not to get hurt.

There is a double 7" on Ninja tune coming out soon also..
Here's another seven inch on Morphius because I think the one pictured may be out completely all ready.

Death set-Negative thinking-A big explosive piece of hard hitting electro rock on the counter label from death set. Think c86 indie rock with added synths and a singalong punk rock like chorus. Also features intermission and heard it all before on the flip side. February 2008-7"-Counter-

2007 year end 7" wrap up.

7 inches of 2007

It's that time at 7inches.blogspot that we take a moment and reflect back on the great, continuing even to get even better and better seven inch bounty that was bestowed on the world this year and to take notice of some of the most amazing things to be pressed on the lowly seven inch format. I decided to wait until the last possible moment for any last minute mentions.
Here's looking forward to the new year.

Some Top 7"'s of 2007:


Panda Bear - Take Pills
Undeniable genius, mutant brian wilson continued, that even your parents could appreciate, and on vinyl? Now you are blowing their mind. I'm glad these tracks could fit on two sides of tiny 7" vinyl and they are great, the live b side is amazing. Essential.


Les Savy Fav - Hit by a Train / Hit by a Car.
A conceptual 7", two songs about getting hit and killed by two different modes of transportation. I was surprised to hear this after the years of LSF silence and this broke that silence with pure awesomeness. Superb both sides, a must have. Available from Insound still. Rumored to be an australia tour only 7" of 1000 green copies. I have one with a xeroxed cover apologising for the lack of a cover.


Coathangers - self titled
First off... it's 4 songs. You're getting your money's worth of awesome rocking balls out we don't give a fuck post-post punk. Don't be a hater, this is good. straight up. Best 4$ you'll ever spend. A reason why Atlanta is getting more and more amazing by the day.
From DieSlaughtermaus


Animal Collective - People
When this came out, I was ready for the Collective to either finally blow it or take music to a new level, and... they did it again. People was another incredible example of what they do so perfect, the yelling, swirling, blend of sounds that ends up pop somehow...almost singalongable. What's even more amazing is that this was released Jan of 2007. I'm not even talking about peacebone yet, which again, destroyed everyone's expectations.
I see this this listed all the time as an Austrailian tour 7" limited to 250 copies? I don't believe this, someone set me straight.


Hot Lixx Hulahan - Self titled seven inch. Anyone with the balls to put out a completely silent seven inch and become US air guitar champion will forever be hailed as a genius. Email him for a copy you can't play. Best back sleeve essay ever.




Best split 7" (tie):
Bronze / Kazuamsumaki split 7" (mashnote)- It's too bad kazuamsumaki have such an insane name because it can be damn hard to track them down. I was lucky finding this from stickfigure, they were the last ones left from this press in Belgium. These two bands are making the best mathrock I have heard since Don Cab. Amazing amazing stuff, go read more, and check those myspace pages. It's worth holding a tape recorder up to your speakers and making a mix tape like the old days.

crystal castles / health 7" This is where music is going, it's your worst electronic nightmare in the best way, both of these bands are making synth so relevant and frightening it's practically a new genre...reminds me of the late SIDS.


Best 7" subscription series:
The Social Registry Social Club...I wish I could remember more specifically about this series except that every single is letterpressed on heavy cardstock, it's practically embossed, super nice. The music is challenging from the likes of a gang gang dance side project, psychic ills, and the latest one, Growing. They are way ahead of everything. Get educated. So glad they are back for another 6 months, renew your membership...I got a christmas 12" I have to check out. Merry Christmas to me. Thanks Registry.


Best 7" Box Set:
Thrill jockey 15th anniversary, this is all wrapped up and waiting under my tree. 10 seven inches of joy to thrill jockey. So many seven inches from seas and cake, califone, david byrne, pullman, lonesome organist, all covering each other....It's more than I could ever hope, I could actually order it direct from thrill jockey and it was damn cheap and beautiful.


Best reissue 7":
Joy division - Sordid Sentimental
I fell in love again with this band, thanks to Control and the great reissues of their full length's on vinyl and this ridiculously out of reach 7" was reprinted. (7,10,12 blog) I thank you record gods.


Best homemade/bootleg 7" scam:
Take the Greatest Catpower 7" you can buy for 99 cents, xerox that picture of chan from rolling stone and blam! Sell it for $30 on ebay...awesome. What a jackass.



Best free 7" included with the full length release:
Seven Swans Bonus Seven inch:
Now I know it costs like $15 for the full length and the bonus 7", but it's a great overlooked album that you don't have anyway, and those tracks are available NOWHERE ELSE... period.
From Danielson himself:
The two remaining songs, “I Went Dancing With My Sister” and “Waste Of What Your Kids Won’t Have,” were great fun to hear again. I put bass lines down on them and mixed them up for Sufjan to hear. We liked what we heard, but felt that they still belong separate from the album. So here we are with the vinyl re-issue of “Seven Swans.”


Most consitently over valued 7" on ebay:
Elliot Smith Speed trials.
I love Elliot Smith too a ton, but this is still in print from KRS! Stop selling it for 9.99 or higher. IT IS NOT RARE! It's 4 bucks or less, and there have been THOUSANDS PRESSED! This is like a gateway seven inch. Now try to get all of his 7"'s... then we'll talk.





Band that makes me want to press a seven inch:
Keytarded: this bearsuit side project is amazing, they are quitting while they are ahead and playing their last ever show this christmas...in london.

Also awesome:

Matt and Kim (yeah yeah)- they are the best, but the b-side was a remix...I was hoping for something I hadn't heard really bad.
Prinzhorn Dance School (multiple) - Do I really even like them?
wooden shjips - They are going to be on every list...they are great, I like what I've heard so far.
jens lekman - friday night at the drive-in - I'm just glad he released a 7" so I have an excuse to list him. The best.
Gingersnap - library card - extra small records - It's like everything I loved about buying seven inches in the late 90's, pavement and sebadoh.
mika miko - self titled (hairdryer) - they are great, honest kick ass punk rock, and fun.
o'death - what a weird band, amazing live...country Tom Waits bluegrass...
a weather - feather test - intimate, like elliot smith or jose gonzalez, I hope the full length is more like this, for the slightly over twee but still sensitive. Like the bowerbirds.
the preakness - something so awesomely indie 90's sounding about them, taking all of those influences and reworking them into something great. I love this.
jay reatard - “I Know a Place” b/w “Don't Let Him Come Back” 7” - I don't know why I keep listening to this, it is a mystery. I like it, but there's nothing super obviously genius, it seeps in and I can't point to any of it.
sic alps - strawberry guillotine - woodsist - they have a great sound, I like that it's drums and a guitar and they make tons of awesome noise.
Phil Elevrum - don't smoke / get off the internet - they are beautiful crazy songs about exactly what they are titled. I'm fascinated by this approach and how these tracks work. The packaging was great too, not too mention that 10" and book he has out.

The Stalins of Sound on Volar Records

Here's another single from Volar Records who, based on the past few I've heard lately, are on top of this bedroom, minimal, metal-punk scene. They are raising it up local, I wonder if it isn't the case of a total of 8 obsessed dudes cross pollinating each others bands kind of deal, but the volume of material in this lockstep style denotes something happening under the surface in San Diego.

Take the first track from the Stalins of Sound, 'Bread and Circuses', based on the mechanical sampled sounds from machines must be due to their Stalinist upbringing on sandy, low resolution snare hits. It's a cold, cold world, not in the depressing, goth way that this robotic melancholia can go, but really getting punk and infusing as much melody into the track within this rigid structure as possible. It's maybe a case of setting up this structure to get off on breaking the rules a little bit.
A little bit like The Units, thy have a saw-blade rhythm, one, two, one, two...a Devo odd melody structure, but then those guitar chords land the whole thing in a indie or punk town, squarely miles from the Autobahn.
'Genocide Erection'..now we're talking...this uber rigid to attempt at revolution rock with programmed sequences is ambitious. But it's near impossible for these guys to have any kind of loose, improv quality. Obviously that isn't what they're going for.

Then B-Side's 'Baton of Discipline', does away with any of the members individuality, all of their decisions are informed by the Stalins. And by now I'm really getting on board with their fascist, unbending vision of punk. The mechanical beats are in such lockstep you wonder if it's possible to create a guitar version of the drum machine by now. Who needs someone to stand there and strum strings? These guys make that idea of a 'playable' instrument seem archaic. I wonder if they didn't take it upon themselves to have samples or robots at work here like those monkeys at typewriters and the Stalins take the choice cut riffs they feel, work.
'Grapevine' veers away from the super rigid structure more than anything else here with the introduction of a warbling phaser effect that seeps into everything, the guitars, the drums, the vocals. Making it the most melodic and natural sounding. I know that's probably going against everything they're trying to achieve here, but I appreciate that contrast once in a while, not that the irony is lost on an effect making them sound more human. That's a good trick.
I don't think I mentioned the vocals yet... I'm picturing a Sid Vicious, or Peter Murphy character, sung with a sneer and safety pins. The metronome 1,2,1,2 beat never wavers and the heavily emotional punk snarling works.
Given the minimal black and white soviet imagery and typeface on the sleeve this is all part of a well thought out master plan. I would have to say it's soulless, except for the vocals, and I'm sure they would take that as a compliment. Like SIDS they're trying to deliver on that promise of future punk. I'm not sure if music criticism exhausted or even answered that question yet? Because every kind of imaginary future is immediately outdated, and what is the promise anyway? All keyboards? Computers randomly generating melody based on 'pleasing' combinations? Then punk itself it never became mainstream enough to be completely rejected like the hippy rock or prog. There wasn't that huge shift by mainstream America to tear it down to start over. Music was either too fractured and idiosyncratic to ever be mainstream enough to have a reaction against again?
Punk either changed too quickly in style to be written off so easily or the moniker itself was just applied to so much across the board it became band-aid or xerox but then allows it to be reinvented all the time.
Even with this anti-punk going on in the Stalins of Sound, Drum machines? Synth? Rigid Structure?...not exactly the characteristics of punk, they apply it to that dystopian future where all the values and ideals are just a little off. After all humans rationalize anything in our behaviors to fit this sort of ever changing undefinable morality.


Get it straight from Volar records who says:

KBD-inspired, high-energy, satirical anti-establishmentarian synth punk from Hadi Fever of the defunct Dissimilars (who saw releases on Plastic Idol/Out of Order/Green Door, and featured Larry from Genetic Disorder and Jimmy from Slab City), this debut 7” represents years of anti-status quo angst unleashed in a four-song fury. Think Metal Urbain, the Spits, Mark Sultan’s the Mind Controls (see the cover of “Grapevine” on this), a little Slayer for good measure. With song titles like “Genocide Erection” and “Baton of Discipline,” these malcontents are sure to put an uneasy smile on your face while bobbing along to this fast, punchy Molotov cocktail of a record. They’ve already shared the stage with the likes of Nobunny, the Spits, Lenguas Largas, Earthmen and Strangers, and Destruction Unit, the latter of which they’ll join on a West Coast tour in the near future.

Limited to 90 on red vinyl, an edition of 200 on black vinyl.

Nice Face on sacred bones

The Nice Face single is limited to 100 copies? Shit, I think we have another Eat Skull on our hands...That is just insane, this is so great...It's jarring, stuttered, no-fi...really messed up fuzzy guitar and . It sounds amazing, really from another time period, another planet. There's so much going on here, hidden under layers but adding to this wash of 4-track melody. It's more than garage punk, it's manipulated through all kinds of analog hiss, and room sounds, so it's natural, but really unique.
I picked this up immediately. It's very SIDS-esque, or even Blank Dogs...there's some synth/organ on some tracks... I love this shit! Immediately it's all I want to hear.
Mike from DC Snipers AKA Blank Dogs did the silkscreen art, which is bad ass also....still waiting for the Dead Luke Box set which will be great too....Sacred Bones you are rocking my god dam world!

On Sacred bones records.

Artist: NICE FACE
Title: Thing In My Head
Format: 7"
Label: Sacred Bones
Country: USA
Price: $5.00
"Mid-tempo guitar and drum machine driven bedroom punk from this faceless one-man act. Clear the room at your next family function with this pair of unbalanced ballads. Another great Mike Sniper designed cover."-Sacred Bones

XYX - ss records + Episode 20

Microvibraciones is on this single and their myspace. This laughing at the end of the track is truly frightening, I don't know what kinds of knob twisting is going on. It sounds like the recorded song track was mixed after the fact, the whole thing is warbling, slowing down.
It's got insane energy and succeeds completely in capturing the intensity that I have to hope the live show is even coming close to. The recording is really a feat in itself after hearing recorded stuff that doesn't come close to the punch of a live performance. They're working with the same set of instruments as Ima fucking gymnast: drums, bass and vocals, but the genius is captured here. It's coming from the synth punk place of SIDS or definitely the Liars and with all the heart and piercing intense vocals.
The track is epic and so worth committing to vinyl.
Anel and her problem the B side (?) is pummeling at just around a minute and then devolves into more vocal twistings...this is a must.
It's another puzzling equation, what are these guys listening to? Where did this come from? It's exciting to be so fucking dumbfounded.

Get it from SS records:
XYX - Sistema de Terminacion Sexual 7" (S-S) $4 Stumbling on Los Llamarada was great (as well as pure luck) and led me scouring the web for other bands from Monterrey…and there were more, good ones too, but nothing that really knocked me out. Then a few months ago, Mou from XYX emails me and says, "We are friends with Llamarada and in some other bands that play with them. This is something we do that you might like. Please check it out." And me being a nice guy took a trip to XYX's myspace page (http://www.myspace.com/xyxs). I listened and liked. Liked a lot. A whole lot. I asked for more songs and said, Let's do a record. "When?" Now! ….and here it is! Four great songs with overblown bass and drums and really cool fucked vocals. XYX has a looping sound that reminds me a bit of Hubble Bubble, but in a post punk context. The songs (even when they are longish) are compact, but still full. XYX is a great band and this is a very cool record.

Podcast Episode 20: Special Sonic Youth edition! We play some old sonic youth, a peel session blank label 7" from 88, we talk about art school fostering bands in general, and the history of SY....

Vulture Shit "I Love the Way He Touches His Computer" self released

Hopefully you get some sense of a band from their title or the packaging of a release, long before it ever hits the turntable. It can be deliberately mysterious, satanic, or just utterly hilarious and confusing. That's the case with this self released single from Vulture Shit. A mousepad is the perfect size to fit into a seven inch sleeve and these guys went as far as to have this worthless detritus manufactured (the fact there are still places making these is mind blowing) with an awesomely obscene collage of keyboards, cops and medical diagrams of private parts. Turns out it's actually useful for throwing on top of the scattered crappile on my desk and actually use that wireless mouse for once. It's like they were reading my mind. On the reverse of that elevator distress call iconography is a nightmare dot matriz printout that successfully shows you've setup your windows NT x86 HP laserjet printer, another sign of the apocalypse...and this title about touching computers?...in what I'm assuming is a sensual way. So I'm thinking there's enough anti-everything punk to this thing, but is it going to be gadget filled electronics? Like SIDS spazzy glitch punk? Well sort of.

A-Side's "Tube Tester" starts out with that tried and true feedback whine, count off to an off kilter superfuzz bass line and Mike(?) is delivering his vocal at breakneck speed matching this weird tempo snare hits. A brief stop and another count off. "Hey baby can I come inside?" gives entirely new meaning to the title. The track is jittery and almost a sort of caveman new wave sound. Bare bones, made entirely by keeping the weirdest rhythm machine steady and jamming as many vocals as humanly possible into that cramped space with a quivering manic style reminding me more and more of that Biafra mental breakdown feel. Utterly hilarious and impeccably crafted, appropriately dirty and you won't miss a word. "I Love the Way He Touches His Computer" comes in with those drum blips from an old casio, a high speed tom and an aside of "Power on" before the scuzz bass starts, seductive vocals feeling especially creepy...I feel dirty typing. Somehow managing to work this hyper riff into a melodic power chorus, it all happens so fast, punchy and rattling like a consumer culture obsessed Death from Above 1979. Increasingly manic, they hit on that primitive repeated crunch and pound it out. He's in the bushes, a demented technological peeping tom. "Every Table Needs a Knife" is an infomercial turned psycho-punk. A rapid fire talky delivery about deals and knives, you're going to want them, this is japanese steel! Lot's of chopping, tomatoes, onions, melons, then tension and boredom. A funk groove is going on off on it's own behind this ad man, as gross as it gets, the desperation and hardcore arrangement is frightening.
B-Side's "Whole Lotta Nothin'" really kicks out that heavy bass line groove, the drums are all speed again and that DFA sound is heavy here, the most melodic line, each note barely having time to ring out and dropping off the end of that fade, rapid fire returns between that deep low end and high bursts. The vocals are slightly more buried here in favor of this killer riff. Sadly I'm missing what I know are fantastic vocals as energetic as ever, but they've got this punk dance sound firmly in tow. "Area Dad's" say "go to the ice-cream truck and get me a choco-taco", and "go to your room! Get a job! Did you clean that fucking mess in the basement? Shave your face!" Sputtering out these mundane suburban verses in the vein of "I'm in jail dad!" between fuzz line bursts, and when dad really gets pissed, this thing takes off into into a solid volume groove. It's a scarily accurate piling on of complaints and at the end of this thing, when the track stops the tape is still rolling and he's spent. Put together with this nervous Devo style and hardcore energy, Vulture Shit is completely coming up with something truly particular that leave you wondering why that punk outrage at the real dumb bullshit ever went away. It isn't directly calling for any kind of revolutionary action but things are a mess and probably always will be, and Vulture Shit does't just have to sit back and take it.

Get this one direct from the band (possibly with a mousepad?) and a sheet of 1986 computer font lyrics, which is an entire sheet of letter size paper, single spaced. Black vinyl, handstamped center label of computer directory speak.

holy fuck - young turk recs

You know with a name like Holy Fuck, I really wanted a little more like anger or angst, so far this track sounds like girl talk or that instrumental go team thing, all made up of other parts, it sounds good, but it's a little boring. I hate to have expectations just based on a name and this bad ass sleeve art but I do, this should be some digital glitches, like Crystal Castles shit, only harder, fuck man, this is weak melodic like the Orb or some ambient/dance shit. We need some serious kick ass synth punk.....like mutherfucking SIDS still the leader by far in this, my favorite use of the keyboard genre....or Digital Leather.
I just don't get this...for instance with the Fuck Buttons, or Growing, they are kind of playing with expectations and flipping them, working with a lot of real sound and expanding on some of these drone/dance beginnings, but I'm getting bored just listening to these myspace tracks. It's fast enough, it has the keys, but it just sounds uninspired. Are they just average laptop monkeys? It kind of seems that way.

Nothing good here.
All name and sleeve, but no substance.

It's on the Young Turks label...whatever.

Holy Fuck release a 7" and 12" called 'Lovely Allen ' on the Young Turks label. I missed these when they came out and I only heard the album recently which quietly blew me away... Super nuts futuristic space rock which I wasn't expecting. Lovely Allen is one of the more commercial tunes from the album and it's an anthemic thing which builds and builds with strings until it ends up sounding all pompous like Sigur Ros doing space rock or even some hands fisting in the air Mogwai. Weird prog space rock pop.... That sums it up quite nicely and I have to say this is pretty cool. It reminds our Brian of 'Leathergirls' by Death In Vegas!

Sacred Bones preorder special editions + podcast Ep 43 (wavvvvvves)

Gary War...I think I already missed his full length that came out on Shdwpy....(actually he just got back to me...the repress is available for $12)...this is mostly in line with the minimal dark low fi synth stuff I've been getting into lately. Dead Luke, SIDS, Blank Dogs...get in line guys...I can't get enough of this goth/synth/psyche avalanche.
They really can't release this stuff fast enough...more limited editions, cassettes that degrade after you play them, recorded over 8 track tapes....it's flying off the shelves.
Gary and Mike Sniper even team up on another soon to be impossible to find project called 'Roman Soldiers'. That's a super group if I ever heard one.
It really sounds like these are all found recordings in some goodwill...someone at sacred bones stumbled on this suitcase full of tapes a few years ago and is slowly going to release them over the next few years.
I would believe that story. There would be no live shows, then someone would try to cover the songs to come up with new material...the mythology would go on forever.

There's a free download of Gary's Album here... but I'll be damned if I can figure out zshare or whatever the fuck, but it's also at Ongakubaka. Email gary directly (gregarywaratgmaildotcom) and get yourself an LP.


From Sacred Bones records
Side A: Zontag
Side B: Don’t Go Out Tonight

Sacred Bones presents the followup release to last year’s New Raytheonport full-length LP on Shdwply Records. Gary War’s keyboard and tape manipulations exist in the loner sphere somewhere between the Legendary Pink Dots’ keyboard driven take on UK psychedelia and current fellow travelers like the Pink Noise. Like the LPD or Ariel Pink (to whom he’s garnered comparisons since the debut LP release) the odd experimental arrangements and off-kilter instrumentation never stray very far from melancholy pop song structures rooted around a catchy hook and melody.

So excited to hear this one...I'm pulling out all ariel pink and Jandek....this is that 70's that I'll pretend existed instead of the shit one that did.

Pink Noise single can be preordered here.

Don't know too much about them, except everything I've been reading was all over Dream Code...thought I'd give this a try...there's two more I didn't know anything about so I let them go...it seems like this past week everyones got a new release from something I want to hear...the 7" economy seems to be doing pretty well.

Limited Edition Screen-printed jacket with tipped-in photograph.
Pink Noise's MySpace
Side A: Gold Light Side
B: Prince Charlies Revenge

Canadian 2-piece The Pink Noise return for their second release on Sacred Bones. Last year’s Dream Code LP ended up topping most people's best of 2008 lists. Electronic and organic drumming with keys with staccato punk guitar blasts--think the Residents played through a Big Muff. A double sider of deranged bedroom punk that shames the dozens of one-man-bands hunched over a Tascam trying to make a cheap knockoff of the original. The record sounds like it was mastered through a boombox onto a thriftstore cassette. The Jerkwave cassette release, the previous 7-inch single, and their track on World’s Lousy (both on Almost Ready Records) are all long gone.


Here's the Wavves set from Underground Lounge as promised. Episode 43. (30min-mp3)
Just a few words...I just had a feeling watching Nathan that this wasn't the usual show of someone with some interesting sounds going on, some flavor of the minute...all hype and no substance....good for a sunday, put it on once in a while (like old skull)...it was a lot more... It could just be that kind of 'don't know any better' genius songwriting, unencumbered by everything going on, when you don't care where it fits into music, you don't care someone else sounds like that, uses that pedal, that your songs all sound the same...but that's what is so great about it. Sure he's young, and that's what makes it even better.

Divorce on Night School Records

No one creates a racket quite the way Divorce does, and they remind me of it every new single that comes my way. This one on Night School Records has a really thick screened heavy cardstock foldover, which was stuck on the inside to a heavy mylar, almost picture disk outer sleeve with a Divorce sticker....making this homemade as hell...a big tear line down one side of the printed sleeve, really great work in making this one stand out.

There was a time when bands like Lightning Bolt, Hella, SIDS and Diet Cola were all I wanted to listen to, at the time it sounded like the most forward looking, original direction for any genre to be attempting...I think if you follow this line of thought you get your Abe Vigoda and Mika Miko, combining that heavy rhythm hardcore noise into punk pop and when Divorce ended up on my radar a little while ago, it brought all that kind of early extremist stuff back for me.

I'm trying to think about what it is about this sound that doesn't get old and a lot of it is the live show so I suppose another branch of the Lightning Bolt tree is some of the glitch electronics stuff like, Dan Deacon in terms of how downright fun and original seeing a band live can be.

But back to Divorce, who all at once take a pure love of hyper rhythms, experimental guitar and Jennie's vocals which are surprisingly clear rising over the weird guitar screechings, the entire fretboard played high to low as a single note on A-Side's "Love Attack". Now that I'm hearing this back to back with yesterday's Aids Wolf, there is a pretty clear connection I never made, Jennie is also coming up with entirely new melody lines for her vocal, even given this solid foundation of pummeling tom beats and gestural distortion, she won't follow any sort of predetermined line, instead reminding me of The Coathangers or White Lung's unique, singing-spoken word style...the difference between Aids Wolf is there's still lyrics here, even if a lot of it is lost in this aggressive chaos, sometimes yelling, but the consistent hollow pop of the snare keeps it headbanging.

B-Side's "Meating" continues to step up the beat, they're really pushing themselves in marrying various strong rhythms together successfully. Jennie also has to be as strong and straightforward as Vickie's riffs and crazy timing drumming. There's nothing timid in any part of it's performance and creation. There's nothing like that combination of shaking tom and kick, single note low end bass and Vickie's growl. There's not much else to say. Someone get a kickstarter together or something to book them in NY. I selfishly want to see them break some ceiling tiles at Death By Audio.

You can order direct from Night School in the UK or head over to Deathbomb arc and add this to the pile of other quality recordings you're going to find there.

Alicja Pop - Shining Apple on Certified PR Records

I just have been exploring all the offshoots of Jay Reatards career ever since it ended, including the Lost Sounds era that Alicja was a part of. Lost Sounds included a lot of electronics, and seemed to be both Jay's and Alicja's Metal Machine Music / Trans period, where you try to apply where you've been going as an artist to a completely different genre. Its exciting as an artist I'm sure, just to push those boundaries and not know what you're doing anymore. To be able to push through that period where you start to get disappointed as songs don't come as easy anymore. But that was the thing about Jay, he wasn't 19, and nothing he was about to do was a fluke...he had been playing around with all these styles and ended up where he was, and it was perfect. I couldn't wait to hear album after album. But these side projects and the Reatards are getting me to work backwards and hear what kinds of things led to Watch me Fall....Ah Fuck! Did you have to use that title!

The two of them, Alicja and Jay split guitar/vocals and synth and made real electronic-punk...I get all excited about SIDS and Black Bug and the Units, but here was this collaboration in my own backyard with the stuff I've been listening to practically and it took me this long to get there. There should be a rerelease of this....maybe Matador can put something together now.

This one sounded like it started out as a contribution to a children's album compilation and then there was a Daniel Johnston cover done for something else...and Certified PR would be damned if this never saw the light of day. It's a no brainer.

There's about 25 left!

ALICJA POP-Shining Apple 7” (Certified PR) $7.99
Everyone should already know about MS. ALICJA TROUT. She is highly regarded as one of the best songwriter/performers out there! Her previous output includes the Legendary Lost Sounds, River City, Tanlines, Mouserocket and many others. The Memphis, TN based Alicja is one of the most prolific artists of the past 10 years putting out a great record seemingly every other month. For her Certified PR Records debut, she changes things up a little. Originally intended to be children's record, this release features the amazing original, "Shining Apple," and her stunning interpretation of the Daniel Johnston classic, "Walking The Cow."

jacuzzi boys on Rob's house

Parasol must have the last few remaining copies of this, because it's been long sold out from Rob's House. I'm practically about to go get it, if I didn't already order a bunch of crap the other day that probably went out already. It wasn't out on Rob's House very long before I saw the 'Sold Out' sign, and I'll admit it, it gets me to pay attention and look up the next single from them. I get caught up in it.
Plus if it's blessed by the house of Rob, then it's got to be good. I haven't ever been disappointed with a release...and that SIDS xmas single was great...best of the holiday season.

I became a fan based on this review from sevententwelve and the Island Ave single that came out a while back, sold out from the source by now too....although I saw Academy has a few copies left as of last week.

They have a 60's-gaze sound, like they are doing some kind of impression of that echo drenched era. It's a good one, more authentic...or satisfying then the original...heavy on the tamborine. It's like the number one instrument these days.
The changes, the song structure is even the same, but it's sloppy like the best garage bands. It's more than just burying the sound, or dare I say hiding it under all kinds of effects. This sounds really specific and catchy and from an older time when music mattered...or was at least trying to entertain you, instead of make you work for it.

Jacuzzi Boys
Fought A Crocodile b/w Blowin' Kisses
PS, US LTD ED OF 600 (500 BLACK vinyl, 100 COLOR vinyl)! Miami, FL's eerie & alluring JACUZZI BOYS float on a hot cloud of misty & hypnotic grooves that suck you into their morbid world of jangling, distant guitars overlaid w/ ghostly chants that swell & recede like the sands of time slowly slipping through your tarnished soul. W/ a rollicking beat that sticks to your ribs & forces you to look deep within yourself for the answers to life's toughest questions, they have that magical "something" that you'll feel the 1st time you hear them.
Rob'sHouseRecords
45
$5.25

These are Powers on Army of bad luck records

These are powers just had this massive record release party at secret project robot, which I unfortunately missed. I think it was like last Friday...I've really been appreciating Terriffic Seasons lately, it really is going exactly where I want this kind of thing to go. They combine the best of everything that I want. The experientalism of High Beams / Racoo-oo-oon /
with the post minimal rock of The Fall or something...or Prinzhorn Dance school...shit what happened to those guys...that was going somewhere really interesting and/or annoying.

These are Powers are just unbelieveable live, like the headlining band that finally goes on after a couple of good acts but they just destroy every thing that came before them. They literally sabotage the other bands because it's so fucking good. It's overwhelming...a real religious experience, the trance drumming and Anna wailing, it's nothing I would ever expect to enjoy so much. It can seem so experimental that I expect it to be work, but I end up enjoying every minute in a really repeatable way.

Army of Bad Luck brought the 7 inches world the SIDS single and Diet Cola, who both pioneered synth punk as far as I'm concerned, they were the precursor to Blank Dogs, Dead Luke etc.
They also really have great sleeve designs and printing...the offset Diet Cola 7" is beautiful...all metallic...a few passes...it's a keeper.

I know I have to have this based on the A-Side, but I'm curious about the creeping nobodies side.
After listening to their myspace...it really fits with where These are Powers are going. They are reminding me of that minimal post punk as well...like Pylon or Love of Diagrams, but working with more polyrhythms...in that experimental way. This might actually be closer to Young Marble Giants then Powers actually...

These are Powers latest full length, is available on SC distro.

Army of Bad Luck says:
These Are Powers / The Creeping Nobodies Split 7" - 2 songs w/cd-r containing "Creeping Powers" mash-up by brenmar. Hand-screened covers. Clear Vinyl. $4.50 + $2 s&h (in u.s.)

That's kind of perfect...the mashup / remix is on the CD-R. That's where they belong...not on the vinyl. I'll probably listen to them and appreciate it, but I'm glad it's not the B-side.

Podcast EP45...

We play Fugazi, the Furniture single...More Matt...Molly brings Fugazi into the mix, I tell my Nodzzz 7" story again. Molly drops a bomb with a discovery of Smiths singles at Permanent records. Matt makes fun of me, I turn his mic off. He calls me a Republican. Good Times. We're far too drunk to make any sense. Matt reminisces about seeing Fugazi, and June of '44. We play Ty Segall's new one from Chocolate Covered. Matt loves the cover and tries to breakdown my obsession with shitgaze. He's the devil's advocate. I try to explain my position, but I have to say, I'm in no state to do so. This does not count.